Highfire by Eoin Colfer

Squib Moreau may be swamp-wild, but his intentions are (generally) good but sometimes life gets in the way – like when Fake Daddy walked out on them leaving a ton of debt, or when crooked Constable Regence Hooke got to thinking pretty Elodie Moreau was just the gal for him.

An apprenticeship with the local moonshine runner looks like the only way to pay off the family debts. Unfortunately for Squib, Hooke has his own eye on that very same stretch of bayou – and neither of them have taken into account the fire-breathing dragon hiding out in the Louisiana swamp…